Winnipeg mayoral forum tackles food security issues

Six of Winnipeg's seven mayoral candidates gave voters some food for thought at a forum dedicated to food security issues on Tuesday evening.

The forum, which was hosted by Food Matters Manitoba, examined topics such as addressing the lack of grocery stores in the downtown and other neighbourhoods.

The organization's executive director, Kreesta Doucette, said there are a lot of civic issues that relate to food.

"One in ten people are food insecure in our city and we really are concerned about that issue,” said Doucette. “We really need to start identifying food solutions as a city and bring politics to the plate."

Doucette said civic issues such as potholes and transit relate to food, because everyone needs transportation to get to the grocery store.

Winnipeg's next mayor should have a role in setting up cooking classes for kids, community gardens, and healthy food incentives for convenience stores, she added.

The six candidates who attended the forum —​ Gord Steeves was not there — talked about ways to make groceries more accessible to citizens.

"For instance, in New York they have grocery carts or trucks that go around and actually deliver," said Robert-Falcon Ouellette.

Brian Bowman and other candidates talked about creating more community gardens.

"That's something that doesn't replace, but it complements a full grocey store," said Bowman.